


that's when i realized we became family

by sakradevi



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Babysitting, Canon Universe, Children, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, PINING SHU HOLY SHIT, Pre-Relationship, did someone say pining? no? here it is anyways, hes pining a lot too dont worry, mikas cute, pining mika too but you have to kind of squint, pining shu, shus gay as fuck but is also. a train wreck of a man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27551110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakradevi/pseuds/sakradevi
Summary: “So... ya gotta kid now? Since when?”“She’s not my child!”“I dunno, she kinda looks like ya.”Shu, much to his dismay, is stuck taking care of someone else’s child. Fortunately, Mika is there to help. Shu learns more about himself and Mika through the process.
Relationships: Itsuki Shuu/Kagehira Mika
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	that's when i realized we became family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thesweetsaddict](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesweetsaddict/gifts).



> title and one specific scene inspired by [rtrt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcpzqZrpLVM&ab_channel=Mili)by mili. ifykyk ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> big thank you to [the mikarin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/shumikas/) for beta reading :)
> 
> anyways this is a special gift for my special friend [chie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thesweetsaddict/)!!! ily!!!!! ilysm!!!!!!!!!! pls enjoy the mksh family!!!!!! :,)

“You want me to do _what.”_

It’s not a question. Shu doesn’t even want an answer or clarification. Based on how long he’s known Wataru, there’s no easy way out of this situation. Wataru’s cocky smile says it all too well. Eyes wide in disbelief, Shu’s gaze flicks between Wataru and the small child standing right next to him. She’s almost the spitting image of Wataru, if only he was 33 inches tall and had shoulder-length hair. And was a girl. She can’t be any more than three years old with her height, baby fat, and big, round eyes looking right up at Shu, mouth slightly agape in wonder.

“Mhm~ you heard correctly! She’s my long-lost niece, or something or other. I was tasked with taking care of her today but it’s just impossible with my schedule. So, as soon as I spotted you I just knew what I had to do.”

“What, you mean _dump_ her on me? How dare you see me as a babysitter. I take full offense.”

“Oho, it’s no good to look at it that way. Instead, think about it like this: this is the perfect opportunity for you to get out of your comfort zone. I can’t bear to always see you stuffed up in the handicraft club room all the time. A change of pace would be good for you. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover something about yourself you never knew before.” 

Audibly groaning, Shu rolls his eyes. Today is not the day to go on an unprompted, unplanned, and unwanted self-discovery experience. There are plenty of things already on his plate—creating new stage costumes, practicing existing choreography, running shopping errands, performing maintenance on Mika… the list of responsibilities and obligations just never seems to come to an end. Adding childcare to that isn’t just something that Shu’s uninterested in, it’s something that will take away from things he actually needs to do. Important things. 

Breaking Shu out of his trance is the little girl, releasing her grip on Wataru’s pant leg to waddle towards Shu, sticking her arms out in front for balance. Walking forward with a wobble, it’s a miracle she’s able to make it a few feet towards Shu without incident. Once she’s close enough, her little hands make contact with Shu’s knee and gently bunch up the fabric of his pants, filling Shu with consternation at the wrinkles he’ll have to smooth out later. 

“Pink hair,” the little girl whispers, eyes locked right on the tidy mass atop Shu’s head. “Why?”

Suddenly self-conscious, Shu’s hand shoots up to grab at the end of his hair. “Yes—don’t stare at me! I don’t know why!”

“Fufu. She seems to have taken a liking to you, Shu. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble at all with this little assignment.”

“Ugh. I wish I _didn’t_ hear a word of what you just said.” Drawing a hand up to his forehead, Shu lets out an audible sigh. He can feel the beginnings of a headache approaching. The fluorescent lights above reflecting on the tiles, the trill of the train’s whistle echoing and bouncing off the walls, the chatter of commuters all trying not to miss their train, having to now take care of a young child, Mika being nowhere in sight—all of it is far too overwhelming for Shu to handle on his own. 

“There’s nothing to worry about, Shu. Really, I wouldn’t have trusted you with her unless I was confident that you would be able to handle it. After all, she’s my flesh and blood, you know,” Wataru reassures, even though his word choice is questionable at the least. 

Cue the most dramatic eye roll of Shu’s life. 

“Now, be good,” Wataru coos, leaning down to give the young girl a gentle pat on the back. “Uncle Shu will take care of you.”

 _“Uncle Shu?!”_ Shu exclaims, eyes widening in disbelief at what he’s hearing. “Do not ever think about calling me that again. I’m not even that old, why—we’re nearly the same age, for god’s sake!” 

“Your Uncle Shu likes to talk to himself a lot,” Wataru relays to the child, completely ignoring Shu’s protestations. 

Cue the most frustrated groan of Shu’s life.

“You must understand, Shu,” Wataru begins, back straightening from his former crouch. “I simply cannot take care of her today! I have important duties to take care of. The stage, it beckons me—farewell, Shu! I’ll pick her up later tonight. Take care. Don’t disappoint me!”

And just like magic, Wataru disappears into the crowd, leaving Shu alone in the train station with the toddler.

Oh god.

Shu’s alone with a literal _child._

He doesn’t know _shit_ about taking care of a child.

Oh god.

Time to panic. Quick inhale, quick exhale, faster and faster. Oh no. 

Definitely time to—

“Oshi-saaaan!~”

There, like an angel coming down from heaven to rescue him from this living nightmare, is Mika. Two shopping bags in his left hand while he’s frantically waving at Shu with his right. 

It’s taken him long enough to reach the train station—their rendezvous point—after they split off to do their errands, Shu concludes. Shu went off to the fabric store, while Mika went off to a different store to pick up Shu’s online order. Splitting up the errands was more time-efficient, even though Shu won’t ever complain about being in Mika’s company. 

Not internally, at least. 

His… _feelings_ for Mika are confusing. Ever since the _incident_ last year, he’s been seeing Mika in a different light. What went unnoticed before is now at the forefront of Shu’s thoughts every time they’re together: the way Mika is so kind to others, the way he seems to just get along with everyone, the way he makes even the darkest times brighter. They’re all traits Shu wishes he had. Really, seeing them in Mika—seeing the way Mika lights up everyone around him with just a bright flash of a smile, or how his happy-go-lucky nature is enough to make Shu leave all of the bad days behind. With Mika by his side, there aren’t any memories he wants to erase. The more time goes on, the more he yearns for a way to store all of their happy moments in his mind in their full glory, silently urging the natural flow of time to stop, allowing them to just live in the moment as they are now forever without thoughts about the inevitable time they’ll have to part looming over them.

Still, though. It’s not even just how naturally cheerful Mika is. During what Shu considers as arguably the worst period of his entire _life,_ when he felt like he was truly alone in the world and that he would never be anything but a failure, Mika was there. Like a torch lighting up the dark, Mika was there. Taking care of him, nursing him, being there to support him, even when Shu tried to push him away... Maybe, just maybe, he was loving him. 

Blushing at the thought, Shu shakes his head. No way. Mika is nice and kind like that to everyone and everything. Shu’s not special.

Sigh.

Thinking about things like Mika, and _—eugh—_ his feelings too much only tears at his heartstrings, pulled taught to the point where they might snap at any given moment. 

He really wishes Mika would reciprocate these feelings. While Shu brushes his thoughts for Mika off as nothing more than some silly little crush, but really—the way he just can’t get him off his mind no matter what time of day it is is indicative of there being something way more than a little high school crush going on between them. Something that Shu isn’t even sure he’s figured out yet. 

Nevertheless, he knows one thing for certain: he _does_ want Mika to know how important he is to him. Mika is the world to Shu, so in a perfect scenario, Shu would _love_ to convey how much he treasures Mika through words of affection, physical touch, spending quality time together, and any other way he could possibly express his feelings. Except there’s just one problem.

Shu just doesn’t really know how to.

Loving someone the way he loves Mika is so new, so _foreign_ to him that he hasn’t really had time to process how exactly to go about it. The desire is strong, for sure, but the application? 

Definitely needs some more work.

Still, though, personal feelings aside, there was a present matter to attend to. Their errands were completed, but at what cost? Shu’s acquired more than he intended to pick up while out on his shopping trip—an entire child at that. Making a mental note, Shu vows to never leave Mika’s side again while running errands, lest he ends up playing babysitter again. 

Like a deer in the headlights, Shu stares at the green-haired mass moving towards him, arms flapping as that _ridiculous_ (see: bewitching) smile is spread from ear to ear. 

Getting closer, that smile shrinks and turns into a quizzical look. With an eyebrow raised, Mika takes in the scene in front of him. In the half-hour he left Shu by himself, fully trusting him to go to the fabric store, pick up the materials, and wait at the train station, Mika is greeted not just by the sight of Shu with the rolls of cloth they needed sticking out of his bags, but by his awestruck and confused look. He looks like he’s met god. 

Oh, and he’s also met by a child, apparently. 

A child that’s clinging to his pants like a lifeline. 

Based on Shu’s present state, Mika’s able to come to one conclusion: that he was right. They _definitely_ should have brought Mademoiselle along. She’d be able to help Shu calm down and process everything that’s going on.

Except… even though it’s nice to think about Mademoiselle being here to save the day, the reality is that she’s absent. At home, sitting on the couch right where she was delicately placed before leaving for this excursion. All because Shu thought it would be a bad idea to take her to such a “dirty” place. And while Mika did agree that walking around the city wasn’t the best activity, Shu always seemed calmer when he was by his side.

Well.

Good thing Mika isn’t a quitter. 

He’ll just have to step up and rescue Shu himself.

“Oshi-san?” Mika calls again, softer this time. 

Suddenly snapping out of his trance, Shu shakes his head. Two pairs of pleading, helpless violet eyes bore into gold and cyan, begging for help. 

“Kagehira! You’re back, you’re finally back. Thank goodness. I’ve become entangled in a...” he begins, eyes darting down to the child who’s now maneuvered halfway behind Shu’s leg. “... A situation.”

“Yeah, I’ll say. Ya gotta kid now? Since when?”

“She’s not my child!”

“I dunno, she kinda looks like ya. Same eyes an’ all.”

It’s true. Though her bangs prevent Shu from getting a proper view of her face, from his vantage point it’s clear that her purple eyes are only just a shade lighter than Shu’s. 

“Huh—yeah. I suppose. Even in such a dire situation as this, you sure were able to pick up on that rather quickly.”

Looking away, Mika awkwardly clasps his hands behind the back of his head, shopping bags coming to rest against his back. A small, nervous laugh escapes Mika’s lips. The artificial brightness of the train station’s lights fail to offer a sliver of relief to Mika’s embarrassed state as they highlight his ever-reddening cheeks.

“Hah, hah… Just lucky, ‘s all. I guess.” With a nervous cough, Mika’s looking back at Shu again, sticking out his tongue playfully. “Ya don’t gotta get too jealous or anythin’, though. I still like yers the most.” 

Shu blushes at that comment, not expecting his acute critical thinking skills to lead him to a state of being flustered.

“I never said anything about getting jealous. But nevermind that. Back to the task at hand. Apparently, we have a child now.”

“We…?” 

Feeling his heart rate accelerate, Mika’s eyes dart between Shu and the young girl in front. Shu probably doesn’t mean it literally, but the thought of taking care of a child—having a family—with Shu is enough to heat up his cheeks. 

“Yes, we. You’ll be taking care of her with me. It’s just until tonight, but, still.” Clearing his throat, Shu begins to speak in a hushed tone. “I don’t think I can do this on my own.”

And there it is—the typical arrogance that Shu emits is gone as he lets himself be vulnerable to Mika. Being honest about his feelings is something he’s been working on improving, and with that omission, it’s clear that Shu’s made progress. 

Blinking once, then twice, as an understanding nod and hum travel towards Shu, Mika’s attention drifts downwards. Squatting down to the child’s level, Mika gives her a small wave as he offers her a kind smile. “What’s yer name?”

“R-Rena,” she lets out quietly. Shy, bashful. Afraid of strangers. In Mika’s mind, she really is just like a small version of Shu. 

“Oh, wow! That’s a real pretty name! I like it a lot.” Mika replies, kind smile never wavering. “Where are we gonna—err, wait. Oshi-san, where are we goin’?” 

“... Home? I suppose. I don’t know how to entertain a child. Plus, we have all these shopping bags to deposit. It doesn’t make much sense to lug them all around the city. Besides, I don’t think I can handle much more of being outside with all these people. Today has been exhausting and I would like to go and rest.” 

“Mmm, alrighty! Let’s go an’ get on the train then,” Mika suggests. He gets up from his squat and looks down at Rena, extending his hand out to her. “ ‘ere ya go. Make sure ya hold on real tight so ya don’t get lost! Don’t want any of that, ehehe~”

Reaching up to grasp Mika’s fingers, Rena lets out a small nod. “O-okay…”

“Mhm! Yup, now yer all nice an’ safe.” Looking over at Shu, who is still visibly unsure how to behave in this situation, Mika gives him an encouraging nod and smile. "Let's go together." 

And just like that, the three of them make their way through the train station, Shu and Mika holding each of Rena’s hands in their own. Once they’ve tapped their cards they wait for the next train to arrive. Playfully, Mika swings his arm back and forth, eliciting a giggle from the small girl. Mika, being his gleeful self, looks down and smiles right along with her. Shu looks over at the scene and can’t help but smile in admiration. 

Mika’s good with kids.

Like, _really_ good with kids.

Shu isn’t necessarily surprised, given the little he knows of Mika’s background, but still. Seeing it in action is an experience he’s grateful to have the opportunity to witness. 

Soon, they can hear a train whistle blowing in the distance. Before long, the train is braking and slowing down into place and the doors are sliding open. Without exchanging a word, they enter the train car once the current passengers have finished exiting. Thankfully, there’s a seat along the wall nearby with enough space for the three of them. Setting the bags down, they take their seats, Mika pulling Rena up onto his lap and holding her in his arms.

Once the train doors have shut, the car is quick to move along the line, shaking every once in a while with bumps along the tracks. At one particularly large bump, Rena lets out a small yelp and clutches the fabric of Mika’s blazer in her tiny hands.

“Nnnh? Everythin’ alright?”

“S-scared…”

“Uhhh,” Shu begins, wanting to contribute something to this situation. Internally, though, he’s at a crossroads. He _wants_ to help and be useful, but he doesn’t sympathize. It’s hard for him to relate to other people if he’s not experiencing the same feelings himself. Instead, feeling dejected, he turns to Mika for guidance and support.

“Ah! Ya got nothin’ t’be scared of. ‘s just a lil’ bump on the tracks ‘s all,” Mika comforts, saving the day from Shu’s unsurprising lack of emotional intelligence. “An’ me an’ Oshi-san are gonna be right by yer side! We won’t let anyone—err, anythin’, too—bring harm t’ya, alrighty?” 

“Plus, ‘s not that bad. Ya can look outta the window and see all sorts of stuff. ‘s spring now, so there’s lots of flowers an’ the trees are all green. The weather’s been nice, so there’s lots of sunshine, too. Oh! An’ don’t forget ‘bout all the buildings ya can see here from the tracks. Some of ‘em are brand new, but ya wouldn’t know too much ‘bout that since yer so young an’ all.”

Mika continues to ramble on nonsensically, bringing a hand up to pet her head while he shushes her. Not only do his gentle words exert a calming effect on Rena, but they affect Shu as well. Shu gazes at Mika, who sounds so calm and confident around this girl, yearning present in his eyes as a flush crawls upon his face. 

Mika really is too pure. He deserves the world and so much more. 

So, as is Shu’s nature, he ruins the wholesome moment. 

“Kagehira, you’re speaking so much. Don’t overwhelm her.”

“Nnnah, nah, Oshi-san, ‘s okay. Promise. Really, yer _supposed_ t’be talkin’ to lil’ kids a lot. Helps ‘em learn words and start talkin’ an’ stuff. Good for their development an’ all that.”

Oh.

Shu’s dumbfounded. How is he supposed to know that? Oh well. At least Mika’s here to teach him.

Seeing Mika not just be good in practice with kids, but also know what’s best for them warms his heart. Shu lets his thoughts wander: Mika would be a really good parent. Mika would always care for them, no matter what. Mika would always be there to welcome them home, maybe make them cute school lunchboxes. 

Mika and Shu could be— 

Shu darts his head away from Mika and Rena, opting to stare at the advertisements plastered along the car’s doors. Oh, if only it was colder out so he could get away with wearing a scarf. Then he’d be able to hide his ever-darkening cheeks from Mika more easily. For now, keeping his face turned away is the only option to save himself from dying of embarrassment. 

Still, even though he wills the thoughts away, they don’t leave his mind. Being a parent together with Mika… it wouldn’t be too bad. Really.

He might even enjoy it. 

After a pause, placing his hand on his cheeks to make sure they’ve cooled down, Shu turns back towards Mika and Rena. 

“Ah, is that so… You sure do seem to know a lot about how to work with kids. It’s admirable, really.”

“Ehh—? ‘s not like ‘s m’special skill or anythin’... Yer givin’ me too much credit, honestly!” he replies, a faint blush dusting his cheeks at the praise. He reaches up to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear as he refocuses his attention back on Rena, who’s looking around the train car with wide eyes—calmer, but still alert of her surroundings. “I used t’take care of lotsa kids, all the way back in m’hometown. So ‘m used ta it. Been doin’ it fer ages, so ‘s not like this is new t’me at all. Piece of cake.”

Shu lets out a soft laugh, bringing his hand up to his mouth. It wasn’t a secret that Mika grew up taking care of lots of kids. Still, seeing him work with children as if it’s instinct is amazing. Really, Mika’s always full of surprises. 

Soon, the automated voice on the intercom announces the name of their station and the train slowly crawls to a halt. With a swish, the train car doors slide open and it’s time for the trio to continue on their way home. Standing up, Mika holds Rena in his arms while Shu picks up the remaining shopping bags.

“Let’s go, let’s go~” Mika sings out cheerfully.

Shu nods in agreement, leading the way out of the car and through the train station until they’re finally out and on the path home. The walk to shu’s house is uneventful for the most part.

Until something about the size of a mandarin flutters by. 

“Ooooh,” Rena coos, lifting her head up from it’s resting place on Mika’s shoulder. Eyes moving up and down, bright blue wings of a fluttering butterfly is the sole captor of Rena’s attention span. 

“Down! I wanna go down!” she whines, hand extending out to reach for the butterfly to no avail. It’s too far away for her short arms to reach. It’s not like she has the reflexes or the motor skills to catch it even if it was in range, though. 

“Nnah? What’s up?” 

“Birdie…”

Shu turns back and his eyes latch onto the butterfly, gently descending lower and lower as it heads down to a nearby bush, flowers already beginning to bud with the springtime. 

“Oh. That’s not a bird. That’s a butterfly. They’re insects,” Shu explains, trying to follow Mika’s earlier advice of just speaking to her. If he had it his way, he wouldn’t be alone with a child, but since Mika’s here it’s bearable. He won’t ever admit it out loud, but being together with Mika like this is actually a lot of fun. It’s an interesting turn of events, for sure, but a welcome break from their typical class-practice-performance routine they’ve been stuck in for a while. 

“Butterfly…”

“Perhaps Kagehira will let you down so you can get a better look at it. Hm?” Shu asks, eyebrow quirking up as he makes some not-so-subtle eye contact with Mika.

“Mhm, sounds like a real nice idea, Oshi-san!” Taking the hint, Mika flashes a smile to Shu before squatting down and peeling off Rena, though it isn’t too difficult since she’s itching to go and get a better look of the butterfly. With feet firmly planted on the ground, the distance between Rena and the butterfly closes quickly as she’s off to a quick start. 

Taking a step back, Mika joins Shu, standing right next to him while he keeps a watchful eye on Rena toddling after the butterfly. Watching her giggle and play in the little patch of grass while chasing the butterfly is at the top of Mika’s cutest things ever list. Mika’s expression begins to mirror Rena’s, while Shu’s takes a different turn as his expression sours.

“D-Don’t trip! Be careful!” He shouts, biting his lip and gripping the bags in his hands even tighter. 

“Nnnh, Oshi-san, ya don’t have t’be so overprotective. She isn’t gonna get hurt or anythin’, ‘s just a butterfly. Really, ya worry too much.” Mika chides, elbow gently jabbing Shu’s side. “Lighten up.”

“I— Kagehira. It’s my nature to be overly protective. You know this.”

“Ah, er, well, yeah. ‘m aware. But still. Did ya even listen ta a single word I just said? Loosen up. Yer gonna get wrinkles. Don’t think that’d be any good fer Valkyrie’s image, yanno.”

“Sh—hush. I’m not going to get wrinkles. She’s so young, she might trip and get a scrape. Or what if she starts bleeding and then she cries and I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle that and—” 

“Calm down. ‘s gonna be alright, I promise. Ya don’t give lil’ kids enough credit. Really, they’re pretty smart most of the time. They just wanna explore the world ‘round ‘em. Let ‘em be, an’ if she gets inta trouble, then we’ll hop in an’ save the day. ‘Kay?” 

Mika’s right. Shu _knows_ Mika is right. So far, Mika’s been the one to have the situation under control. Shu’s just been kind of helpless. He didn’t even want to be in this situation. Mika, on the other hand, didn’t have much of a choice but he seems to be enjoying himself if the huge grin on his face is anything to go by. 

It’s nice to see him so carefree. This year has been a trainwreck and a half, but with spring rolling in it seems as if he’s getting a fresh start.

Everything is going to be alright. Shu’s here to protect him; to repay him for all the kindness he’s received over the past year.

To love him. 

One step at a time, he’ll do what he can to make sure Mika knows it. Little by little, showing how much he means to him. 

For now, though, that means just getting through the day without too much of a fuss. 

“She’s so cute.”

“Mmm, yeah. I think so too. Kids are pretty cute. Didn’t take ya as the type t’take a likin’ ta ‘em, though.”

“Me neither. I never really gave much thought to it before, but… there’s certainly worse ways for me to be spending my afternoon.”

“That’s a really roundabout way t’say that ya like kids.”

“... Hush.”

“Ehehe. Ya know ‘m always gonna be here t’tease ya. Yer a real softie deep down, yanno.”

Sigh, he’s been found out.

He doesn’t mind the extra attention, though.

“...”

“See? Knew it. Yer not denyin’ it~”

“... I just don’t have the energy to do that. Hmph,” Shu lightheartedly retorts, closing his eyes and sticking his chin up. 

“Mmm, fine, fine. Let’s get ya home then,” Mika reassures. “Rena! C’mere!”

Turning around is Rena, who, having chased after the butterfly, is now holding some flowers she’s pulled from the bush. She drops them unconsciously as she begins to waddle back to Mika, getting picked up by him once she’s close enough.

And like that, the three continue the walk to Shu’s house until they’re right at the front door and Shu’s pulling the key out from his pocket. Cracking open the door is the sight of the interior of Shu’s house—tidy as ever, and Madonee is sitting square on the couch where he left her. Smiling softly to herself.

Rena picks up on her presence fast.

“Oooh! Pretty!” 

“Nnnah? Mhm! That’s Madonee! She’s really pretty, yeah!” Mika answers, gently setting Rena down onto the hardwood floor. As soon as she’s on her own, she’s making her way towards the couch to inspect Mademoiselle up close.

Shu, smiling warmly at how well everyone is getting along, is relieved. What was initially a moment of confusion and panic when he was originally given a child to take care of has dissipated into comfort as everything seems to have fallen into place.

Not by coincidence, of course. Mika’s been here all along, pulling everyone together. Really, his smile, warmth, and happiness—it’s contagious.

Shu doesn’t mind.

“Rena, you… you can pet her hair if you’d like.”

Mika’s jaw drops in astonishment. “Wow, ya really seem t’have taken a likin’ t’her if yer gonna trust her with Madonee."

“It’s like you said. I need to give her more credit. Plus, Mademoiselle seems to like her already. And… you’re here. To keep Mademoiselle safe. I trust you.”

Mika’s eyes close as he smiles back at Shu. “Wow, really?! ‘m glad! ‘m gonna do m’best t’protect Madonee! Yeah! She’s m’family, after all!”

Shu’s heart runs wild upon hearing those words escape Mika’s lips. He’s glad that Mika considers Mademoiselle to be a part of his family. He just hopes that maybe one day, he’ll get to be a part of it, too. 

“Ooooh! Pet… pet,” Rena repeats as she gets close to Mademoiselle, sticking out her hand and tentatively placing a light tap onto her head. Mademoiselle smiles right back at her, almost as if silently thanking her for the attention. 

Watching the scene from the entranceway, Shu and Mika both look on at the adorable scene in front of them with gentle smiles. 

The charming of the grandfather clock breaks them out of their fixation. Five bongs let them know that it’s five o’clock: dinner time.

Setting the bags down, Shu begins to make his way towards the kitchen as if it’s routine. 

“Kagehira, we should prepare a meal.”

“Nnnah, yeah. Sure. What d’ya think we should go an’ make tonight?”

“Hmm… I haven’t given it much thought yet. What about curry? Is curry alright?” he asks, looking at Mika with confusion. “Children like curry, right?

“Mmm, yeah. I think most kids like curry. I dunno if she’s a picky eater though. But we’ll work around that if it comes up, I guess.” In the middle of following Shu to the kitchen, Mika stops halfway. “Wait. Duh! We can just ask. Rena, d’ya like curry?”

“Curry!” she yells, not even looking up from Mademoiselle, who’s receiving the most gentle head pats of her life. 

“I suppose we’ll go ahead and take that as a yes.” With Rena’s excited approval, Shu opens up the cabinets and takes out pots, pans, a cutting board, and some cooking utensils. Afterward, he takes out some carrots, potatoes, onions, and chicken from the refrigerator. 

“Mhm, sounds ‘bout right. Let’s go ahead an’ get cookin’! Ooh, ooh, ooh, can I peel the potatoes?”

“Go ahead.”

“Yippee!” Excitedly, Mika puts on an apron and begins to peel some potatoes, discarding the skins into the trash can. When he’s finished cleaning up a handful, he gets to work chopping them into bite-sized chunks, perfect for a curry. He follows the same process for the carrots and chicken, leaving the onions to Shu (who is most certainly crying, even though he’s trying desperately to hide it from Mika). 

Once all the ingredients are prepared, Mika goes to heat up a pan for the chicken and places the rice Shu’s washed into the rice cooker. Shu does the other half of the work, boiling water and then putting in the potatoes, carrots, and then onions, stirring them regularly. Both of them take turns glancing over the kitchen island to peer into the living room, checking on Rena. It’s fine, though. Mademoiselle has her own watchful eye observing Rena and making sure she’s okay. Though there isn’t _too_ much to be worried about, since she’s just running her fingers along the fabric of Mademoiselle’s dress, the velvet soft to the touch. 

Once the veggies are soft, Mika adds the chicken to the mixture and Shu puts in the blocks of curry, dissolving them in the water with an extra spoon. With the once-clear water turning brown, the scent of curry wafts through the kitchen into the living room. 

And like that, with Mika leaning over the kitchen island with one hand on his hip, toying with the apron’s strings, while he looks at Rena with a soft smile, Wataru’s words ring loudly in Shu’s ear.

As much as Shu hates to admit it, Wataru was right. 

This entire childcare experience _did_ in fact teach him something new. Not only was Shu able to learn more about how to work with children and handle new problems and challenges, he was also able to learn more about himself and his own feelings.

Particularly, his feelings for Mika. 

Though, it’s not as if he’s learning something completely brand new. It’s more like this experience has made what he already knew clear as day. 

It’s in this moment, lovingly gazing at Mika after living the domestic dream by cooking together that Shu realizes that deep down, _this_ is what he really wants. More than anything in the world.

Sure, being an idol and creating art to showcase for Valkyrie’s spectators is something he enjoys and will want to continue for the foreseeable future. He also would love to live in Paris, far away from Japan. But spending time together with Mika like this, with a little child, acting like parental figures almost as if it was their own… It’s not something that’s ever crossed Shu’s mind before, but now that he’s at least gotten some experience with children, he’s not opposed to it.

Though perhaps, it’s not raising a child that he’s interested in. More specifically, Shu’s quickly coming to realize that it’s about the future. About having a future like this, living domestically with someone else and having a family of his own to raise.

With the person in question being no one else but Mika. 

Truly, Shu can’t picture himself taking care of a child with anyone other than Mika. 

As the day’s gone by he’s come to change his perspective. It’s not as unbearable as he initially imagined. Really, it’s fun. 

For now, it’s like they’re just playing pretend as if they’re a little family. In the future, Shu hopes, maybe they won’t have to play pretend. Maybe he and Mika _will_ have a little family together. Mika, Mademoiselle, their child, and him. 

But… the more he thinks about it, maybe he doesn’t have to be so wishful. 

Right now, stirring curry, cooking rice, the scent of a delicious home-cooked meal wafting through the house while Mika’s right here by his side, and with little Rena playing in the living room, there isn’t anything to hope for. He’s with Mika in the best way possible.

After all, they’ve already become family.

**Author's Note:**

> chie this is for u thank u for being one of my favorite people to talk to i enjoy you very much AND I HOPE U ENJOYED READING THIS THIS WAS BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY!!!! shumika with kids im just :,,,))) im… :,,)))) like….. yeah :,,,,,))))) you get me man :,,,,,,,)))))))))
> 
> N E WAYS
> 
> HI THANK YOU FOR FINISHING THIS, READERS DEAREST <3
> 
> it makes me happy that y'all got here LOL i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!!! this is the product of me not Doing My Job sooo uhhh yeah LOL see y'all next time i post a fic ^_^
> 
> if you like my content please consider supporting me!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/sakradevi) | [my other works](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakradevi/works) | [valkyrieP discord server](https://discord.gg/Dc5KQs6uF3) ☆彡


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